(500) Days of Summer (2009)

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel
Director: Marc Webb
Country: USA
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama, Independent

Many independent films, especially romance movies, tend to strive to be as un-Hollywood as possible, creating an experience that may be realistic, but quite often dreary. If Hollywood is boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-back, then Independent films are boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-loses-his-mind, boy-attempts-suicide-or-becomes-a-drug-addict-to-deal-with-his-problems. Perhaps I’m confusing Independent films with student films, but the point is there none the less: the two sources are on opposite ends of the spectrum. (500) Days of Summer is a film that is very much independent in its realistic story turns, (or for you Hollywood folk “plot twists!”,) but unlike a lot of other independent romances, it allows itself to dwell on the glory of falling in love in over-the-top ways, (a musical number to Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams” is priceless.) Perhaps I’m very biased because I have an undying crush on Zooey, or because this film hit way too close to home in a few too many departments, but I would definitely relive these 500 days over and over again.

2 Comments

• By Mark Lint, October 2, 2009 @ 8:32 am

  More films should have a “drug attic” in them. I never know where to keep all of my old, unused drugs!
• By this guy over here, October 2, 2009 @ 9:49 am

  Ha! That was a total typo… I meant to type drug-crawlspace. I guess that’s why one should re-read what they write!

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